Top five driving phobias

propeller

Everyone's afraid of something. Spiders, sharks, heights, puppets or even certain fruits. People can be scared of almost anything, and driving is no exception. Driving doesn't have to be scary, though. Most driving phobias are the result of a traumatic experience, such as an accident, but with proper practice and mental reconditioning, scared drivers can enjoy the open road without breaking out in a cold sweat. In the wise advice of our British friends, just keep calm and carry on.

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Will I find a space? Will my car fit? Are there people watching? What if I hit the curb and scratch my rims? Am I lined up properly? What if I hit the cars sandwiching me? Am I too far away from the curb? Parallel parking is probably the most fear-inciting driving activity, and for a good reason: A lot can go wrong. When I was test driving a tiny Toyota Yaris last year, my face was beet red after it took me an Austin Powers-like four attempts to parallel park the little hatch perfectly. How does one master this fear? Some automakers, Lexus and Ford, for example, offer technology that helps you parallel park, including sensors and cameras. Lexus claims its technology will park the car for you. All you have to do is find a space and line up the car. Otherwise, drivers should become more familiar with the turning radius and dimensions of their cars. Practice, as they say, makes perfect, but perhaps you should try with pylons before attempting the real thing.
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2. Highway driving
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What if I miss my exit? What if I can't merge? What if I change lanes and then someone suddenly appears in my blind spot? High speeds can freak people out sometimes. I once knew a woman who wouldn't drive on the highway because she was afraid that no one would let her merge after the on-ramp and she would be stranded on the shoulder. Also, with high speeds comes the possibility of more serious accidents. The best solution besides avoiding highways completely is to signal early and triple check your blind spots (this actually applies for all driving). Be aware of the cars around you and be in the right lanes as much as possible so exiting is easier.
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3. Steep hills

For people driving manual cars, going up steep hills can be nerve-racking. If a driver doesn't get the clutch-throttle combination just right, the car might roll back and hit whatever is behind it. What if the car behind you didn't leave enough room? What if I hit the throttle too hard and hit the person in front of me? What if I stall on a hill? When I was taught to drive stick, my instructor never told me about the emergency brake strategy, so I was stuck for a while gunning the throttle and spinning my tires at each hill. I prayed and prayed that I wouldn't get stuck on a hill at a red light and I would glare at cars behind me through the rear-view mirror if I thought they stopped too close to me. Luckily, as I had more practice, I became much more confident on hills, and I could master driving up them from a stop even without using the emergency brake strategy, which I eventually learned from a friend.
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4. Turning left
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I can't see anything. Should I risk it? What if I take too long and the person behind me honks? Left turns, especially at stoplights, can be a scary experience because if someone is making a turn, it is always considered his or her fault if an accident occurs. Cars turning left in the opposite lane can often obstruct the view of any oncoming cars, so people are usually left inching forward and sticking their heads as close to their windows as possible, trying to take a peek at what's coming. A way to get around this is the "S" strategy. When making a left turn, inch up and then position the car so that the wheels on the left side of your car line up with the left side of the concrete island. This will give you better visibility of oncoming cars. Also, there really should only be one car waiting for a left turn in the intersection at once. This way, when the light turns red, the intersection can be cleared as soon as possible.
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5. Snow or rain
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Nature can make a car you've been driving forever all of a sudden seem unfamiliar. It doesn't stop when you want to, its reaction times are all wonky and nothing feels right. The best way to conquer this fear is to practice and keep an eye out for other scared drivers. Equip your car with proper snow tires for the winter. Give yourself plenty of room and, if you feel it is really unsafe to drive, pull over in a safe spot and wait it out.

binclintonusa

I’ll be sure to keep everyone posted.

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